In the Star Trek Universe, the Prime Directive is often referred to but rarely observed. In our own universe, the Prime Directive can be observed in eCommerce activities that rally around Amazon Prime Day.
Amazon Prime Day has grown so big that it is not a single day but two with weeks of lead-in from not just Amazon but over 250 eCommerce businesses that seek to ride the sales wave generated by the anticipation and attention that builds up around it.
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It’s become such a highly anticipated event that it’s easy to forget it has only been around since 2015. That year it was introduced as a day-long sale to mark Amazon’s 20th anniversary with special deals.
Because it was so popular, Amazon decided to not just bring it back each year but keep it growing. The 2018 Prime “Day” sale extended to 36 hours, and in 2019 it grew to a full two days. Prime Day is to last 48 hours in 2020, as well.
Calendar shift
The big difference between this year’s event and all the ones that preceded it is the choice of month. All previous Prime Days took place in July, but this year’s event is slated for October 13-14.
The regularly scheduled July event had to be delayed due to too much business in the spring and summer months. Amazon was getting so many orders while bricks-and-mortar stores remained closed under lockdown that it didn’t make sense to reach out to increase site traffic even more at that time.
Retailers are pushing for more consumers to start their holiday shopping early this year. Having Amazon Prime Day in October forms a central component of the retail landscape that will direct other retailers, particularly those in eCommerce, to extend their holiday specials earlier.
Amazon itself is encouraging shopping activity beyond its site with its Support Small promotion. Prime members who spend $10 at select small businesses between September 28 and October 12 earn $10 to spend on Prime Day.
No crowds shopping
While many online sellers may be taking their cue from Amazon, some already came up with the October strategy on their own. Among them is Target, which announced back in July that it was deliberately planning to start offering holiday specials in October to spread things out.
“Let’s face it: Historically, deal hunting and holiday shopping can mean crowded events, and this isn’t a year for crowds,” Target declared. Instead of trying to whip up its customers into a Black Friday frenzy, it offers its customers different options for ordering and shopping at their own preferred pace:
“Starting in October and continuing throughout the season, you’ll find Target’s lowest prices of the year on items in stores and online, giving you the flexibility to get the gifts you want – when and how you want – at the Target value you love.”
The NRF declares a new tradition
Target may be setting the trend that other retailers will embrace. At least, that is the hope of the National Retail Foundation (NRF).
The NRF just launched a “Shop safe, shop early campaign. It urges shoppers to “join us in a new tradition” for the benefit of “retail workers, your family and your community – because we all deserve a happy and healthy holiday season.”
Traditional Black Friday style doorbusters were designed to draw in huge crowds of shoppers over a short period of time, which makes it impossible to maintain social distance at brick-and-mortar shops. The Prime Directive for the present is to prioritize safety over the thrill of fighting through mobs of people to snag a bargain, and so it makes sense to space out offers for customers.
